PHOTOGRAPHY: BLASIEHOLMSTORG

Blasieholmstorg is a rectangular square (oxymoron if ever there were one) in the district of Norrmalm in central Stockholm, positioned between Arsenalsgatan and Stallgatan, and very near to Kungsträdgården T-Bana.

The square is not very large in size, but is - in my opinion - one of the most elegant in Stockholm. The cobble-stoned walkway is is flanked one either side by former palaces and, at either end, there are large horse statues cast in bronze.

PHOTOGRAPHY: RIDDARHUSET

The Riddarhuset (House of Nobility) is a 17th century palace located on Stadsholmen island (Gamla Stan) in the centre of Stockholm. It is the HQ for an organisation for the Swedish nobility whose objective is to preserve, maintain, and protect historical heritage.

MAIN ENTRANCE TO RIDDARHUSET

NORTH SIDE OF RIDDARHUSET

PHOTOGRAPHY: VÄSTERBRON

Västerbron (literally Western Bridge) crosses Riddarfjärden (last stretch of Lake Mälaren before it joins up with the Baltic Sea in Saltsjön) and is one of the largest and most recognisable bridges in Stockholm. It joins the north and south of the city between Rålambohovsparken (Kungsholmen) with Långholmen island and Hornstull (most westerly part of Södermalm).

There are some great views of the bridge from the quays in Riddarholmen, but if you want to get close up views, the nearest T-Bana stations are Fridhelmsplan/ Thorildsplan (Kungsholmen) and Hornstull (Södermalm).

PHOTOGRAPHY: GLOBEN

The Ericsson Globe Arena, known locally as "Globen" (The Globe) is located in the borough of Johanneshov, just south of Södermalm. It is an arena in which concerts and events are held, and can be seen from the higher vantage points around the city.

It is a strange building, as - from a distance - it looks enormous, but the closer you get, it does not look very big at all. There is a cable car  (Skyview) that takes you up to the top of the dome, which gives nice views of the city, and it is situated very near to the Tele2 Arena (home to Hammarby IF and Djurgårdens IF). Globen will the venue of the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest.

GLOBEN SEEN FROM SKANSTULL, SÖDERMALM

PHOTOGRAPHY: GIANT ZOMBIE HARE

I don't recall ever seeing a wild hare before and was not really expecting to see any next to my hotel in Ulriksdal (Solna, north-west Stockholm). The first time I saw them, it was very late at night and I actually thought they were medium size dogs. That was until I saw the size of the ears and caught a brief glimpse of their face, which I must say frightened the pants off me (it was the red glare in the eyes that did it), after which I called them the giant zombie hares of Ulriksdal.

The next time I saw one, it was first thing in the morning and I was astonished at how big it was. It looked as big as the bonnet of a car and did not seem to be startled by my presence. They do look very similar to rabbit, but there are some obvious differences: their overall size is much larger, as are the ears and hind legs. I may be imagining it, but their faces seem to be a different shape too. In broad daylight, it looked a lot sweeter. I spent several minutes observing it, before it scampered off to a feed in a patch of wasteland.

It's not the first time I have seen strange animals roaming free in Stockholm. Nothing will ever beat spotting a moose gangling around in the south of the city though.

PHOTOGRAPHY: HÖGTORGET T-BANA

Högtorget metro station is located in the centre of Stockholm, in the district of  Norrmalm. It's on lines T17, T18 and T19 (Green line) of the T-Bana network, in between T-Centralen and Rådmansgatan. It does not have artwork as with some other stations, but - nonetheless - it is a nice station, decorated with pale duck egg coloured tiles and illuminated with twisting neon lights on the ceiling. It has a very 1950's feel to it.

PHOTOGRAPHY: STADION T-BANA

Located in the district of Östermalm, and - unsurprisingly - just near the Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stadion metro station is one of the most colourful on the T-Bana system. It is on the T14 (Red) line which runs between Mörby Centrum and Fruängen (in between Östermalmstorg and Tekniska Högskolan).

The walls are painted bright blue and are decorated with the shields of Swedish sports clubs that were around at the time of the 1912 Summer Olympic Games. The other main feature of the station are the huge rainbows that are painted on the ceilings of the cave-like accesses between platforms. The colours used symbolise the colours of the Olympic Rings, and somewhat fittingly, the colours of Gay Pride, which this year will be held very close to the Stadium,

PHOTOGRAPHY: TENSTA T-BANA

Tensta is a suburb in the north-west of Stockholm (within the borough of Spånga-Tensta). It is one of the more deprived areas in the city, with high unemployment and dependency on social welfare, a predominantly immigrant population and with a fairly high level of crime.

In view of this seemingly gloomy panorama, it is rather surprising (but uplifting) that it's metro station is one of the prettiest on the T-Bana network. There are caveman-style paintings of typical Swedish and Nordic animals (my favourites are the elk and walrus. see photos below) and ridiculously sweet  penguin/puffin style birds nesting in holes in the walls in connecting the two platforms. There are also inspirational messages written on the walls.

Tensta is the second last stop on the T10 blue line (towards Hjulsta). It takes about 25 minutes to get there from Kungsträdgården or T-Centralen, but it most definitely worthwhile making the effort to visit it.

PHOTOGRAPHY: KUNGSTRÄDGÅRDEN T-BANA

Kungsträdgården T-Bana station is unlike any other train station that I have ever seen, inasmuch that it is essentially a large underground museum/art gallery.

The feel of the station is quite dramatic. There are cave-like accesses between platforms which are painted deep green (in one of them there is even a statue of a caveman complete with club). The floors are covered in red, green and white tiles. and near the Arsenalsgatan exit there are vibrantly coloured patchwork ceiling paintings. However, the most striking element of the design are the relics salvaged from buildings that were demolished in the city centre during the 1950's and 60's.

If you are ever in Stockholm, it is definitely worth taking time out to look around the T-Bana stations as you will be pleasantly surprised.

PHOTOGRAPHY: SOLNA CENTRUM T-BANA

It is said that the Stockholm T-Bana (Metro) system is the world's longest art gallery. Many of the stations have unique and unusual designs, with some of the most decorative ones appearing in the most unlikely of places. One of the most striking stations is Solna Centrum, which is on the T11 Akalla - Kungsträdgården branch of the Blue Line (Blå Linjen).

The first thing that you will notice at this station is that on the inside it is painted a deep shade of red (very similar to the Falu red colour traditionally used in Swedish buildings) and green. The accesses between platforms, like in other stations, are fashioned like grottos or caves and the theme of the design of this station is ecology.

There are huge pine forest landscapes painted on the walls by the railway tracks and there models of representing outdoor lifestyles and the impact that industrialisation has had on Swedish ecology. For me, however, the highlight is the life-sized model of an älg (elk/moose). Really didn't expect to see that!

PHOTOGRAPHY: Å VI E AIK

Despite having been to Stockholm many times before, I had never seen a football match there. This is in part due to trips not coinciding with the Swedish football season and not being particularly fond of AIK (Allmänna Idrottsklubben), who are based in Solna, a few miles north of the centre. However, I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and got a ticket for their match against IF Elfsborg at the Friends Arena.

The 2015 Allsvenskan championship is proving to be a mixed bag for AIK, Their home form is fantastic, but their away form has been dismal to say the least. Their opponents, Elfsborg (from the city of Borås), went into the match in third place in the table (three places higher than AIK).

The crowd was a little disappointing, just over 14,000 (of which no more than 100 were away fans) in a 50,000+ stadium, but the atmosphere in the ground was great. AIK supporters have a reputation for being very boisterous - if not fanatical - and vocal in their support for their team. I was quite surprised to see just how true this was when, just prior to kick off, the club's official song "Å vi e AIK" (Oh We Are AIK) was played over the loudspeaker and everyone appeared to stand up and sing along to it as if their life depended on it. Once the game got under way, the more extreme fans did not stop chanting throughout the match.

The game itself was quite entertaining, but was virtually all over before half-time. AIK raced into a 4-0 lead within 40 minutes and it looked like Elfsborg were in for a severe drubbing. However, the second half was a much closer contest, as Elfsborg grabbed two goals back and could easily have got at least another goal. but - thankfully for the AIK faithful - time ran out. Despite winning, AIK remain in sixth place, but now only 5 points separate the top six teams.

Would I go back to watch them? Yes, I probably would.

PHOTOGRAPHY: KATARINA KYRKA

Located on the high ground of north-east Södermalm and presiding over Saltsjön (branch of the Baltic Sea that joins up with Lake Mälaren in Gamla Stan), Katarina Kyrka is one of the major churches in Stockholm and also one of the prettiest.

Built on the burial site of the victims of the Stockholm Bloodbath in 1520, the church has twice been destroyed by fire, the most recent of which happened in 1990 (restored and reopened in 1995). The nearest Tunnelbana station is Medborgarplatsen but it is also within walking distance, albeit uphill, from Slussen. Entrance to the church is free.

Nearby, you will also find the traditional-style colourful houses in Fjällgatan and there are some spectacular views to be had of Gamla Stan, Kastellholmen, Djurgården and Saltsjön.

PHOTOGRAPHY: SKEPPSHOLMSBRON

Skeppsholmsbron is one of the more iconic bridges in Stockholm, due mainly to the two gold coloured crowns that adorn it. It is a relatively short bridge that crosses a small section of the Baltic Sea between the Blasieholmen peninsula and, unsurprisingly enough, the small island of Skeppsholmen.

There are excellent views of Gamla Stan (as in the photo above), Södermalm and the elegant buildings of Strandvägen (Östermalm district)  from here.

PHOTOGRAPHY: RIDDARHOLMEN

One of my favourite views in Stockholm is that of Riddarholmen island from the park outside the City Hall; even more so as the sun starts to set. The colours of the buildings are so pretty and the sound of the water in Riddarfjärden is very relaxing.

ILLUSTRATION: PEACE

PEACE © GINGER NUT DESIGNS

This A4 illustration is titled Peace. It is inspired by the Hindu god Ganesha. In this piece, the central point is the seated figure of Ganesha set against a baby pink background that is decorated with the word 'peace' in a variety of different languages.  Materials used: promarkers and fine liner pens.

PHOTOGRAPHY: SEGOVIA

About an hour or so north-west of Madrid lies the city of Segovia. It's the capital of the province of the same name (in the Autonomous Community of Castilla y León). It is one of the smallest provincial capitals in terms of population, but is of great historical and architectural importance. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage City in 1985. It is most definitely one of my favourite places in Spain.

PLACES TO VISIT

• The Roman Aqueduct, located in Plaza del Azoguejo, what that stands out the most in Segovia. Constructed in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD (without mortar), it is the most important Roman civil engineering work in all of Spain.
• The Alcázar (fortified palace) is said to be one of the inspirations for the Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom.
• The enormous Gothic Cathedral, located in Plaza Mayor.
• Many examples of Romanesque churches.
• Sierra de Guadarrama (which lies betweeen Madrid and Segovia), which often has snow capped peaks even in the early summer.
• La Granja de San Ildefonso, a lovely town 11km from Segovia.

ALCÁZAR DE SEGOVIA

ROMAN AQUEDUCT, SEGOVIA

SEGOVIA CATHEDRAL

PLAZA MAYOR, SEGOVIA

SIERRA DE GUADARRAMA